New EU Project to Help SMEs Reduce Chemical Industry Energy Consumption

An online project designed to make Europe’s most power-hungry industry more energy efficient has been launched in Amsterdam.

SPiCE3 was commissioned by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), and funded by the European Union, to share best practice on energy consumption in the chemicals industry.

Currently, companies in the sector use 33% of all Europe’s industrial energy, and Cefic estimates that potentially untapped savings could be made through greater efficiency in smaller chemicals companies.

The €1.35m project has taken six months to develop, and covers a wide range of topics in 13 countries and 12 different languages. It will serve as a central point for companies to access expertise, resources, technology and knowledge.

Alongside the mammoth website, developers ExtraMile Communications will also be producing a regular email newsletter in Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Swedish.

ExtraMile Communications Managing Director Gabrielle Hadley said: “The Sectoral Platform in Chemicals for Energy Efficiency Excellence (SPiCE3) project began in April and will continue until July 2014.

“The project is required because although the European chemicals industry has had a strong track record on energy efficiency for more than 20 years, small companies often lack the know-how and the right tools to effectively control their energy use and improve their energy efficiency.

“It will potentially make a massive difference to the industry’s energy consumption.”

SPiCE3 will be delivered by 17 organizations in partnership, including energy consultancy Challoch Energy and NL Agency, a division of the Dutch Ministry of EconomicAffairs, as well as Cefic and associations from the member countries.